Piano-pedal.



PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

G. MBRRITT. PIANO PEDAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1904.

GORDON MERRITT, OF RIDeEWooD, NEW JERSEY.

' PIANO-PEDAL.

NO. 797.,0u9.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed July 9,1904. Serial No. 215,863-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GORDON MERRITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridge wood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano Pedals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to piano-pedals, and has for an object to provide an improved means for supporting the pedal when in a piano.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of my present improvement, and Fig. 2 is, a plan view drawn to a smaller scale than Fig. '1 and showing main and auxiliary plates for supporting the pedal-pivots.

The device is shown as embodying a bedplate, (designated in a general way by 7,) and which bed-plate in the present instance is illustrated as made from sheet metal, which bed-plate carries a number of standards, (designated in a general way by 8,) which standards are in the present illustration struck up from the metal of the bed-plate and are bent over, as

at 9, to form pivot-bearings, and to add rigidity to the structure the standards may be made to rise from a flange-like portion 10 integral with them and with the bed-plate. There areshown in the present instance fast upon the plate 7 four standards 8, adapted to support three pedal levers, one of which levers is shown supported by two of said standards and is designated by the reference character 11. The pedal-levers are shown as broken away, dotted lines 5, however, showing the position of the pedal portion of that one of the levers which is carried by the standards 8. The pivot-bearings are adapted to receive pivots, (designated in a general way by 12,) which pivots when carried by the standards 8 will be in axial alinement that is, the pivots for all the levers may have their axes upon the same line. The pivots in the present instance are carried by a pivot-carrier, (designated in a general way by 13,) which is in the form of a yoke embracing the lever and carrying a set-screw 14, the pivot being shown as having a portion between the bottom 15 of the lever and the bottom 16 of the yoke or carrier, whereby upon the tightening of the set-screw the lever will be clamped in its position of longitudinal adjustment and the pivots will be secured in their position of longitudinal adjustment. This feature, however, is made the subject of another application filed on July 9, 190 and bearing Serial No. 215,862. By this means all the pedallevers are carried by a single plate or member and may be adjusted and placed in the piano and held by a minimum number of screws, there being shown in the present instance screwholes 17 and 18 at opposite ends of the plate and a screw 20 in the central portion.

In some instruments it is desirable to have the axis of one of the pedals placed forwardly of the axes of the other pedals. This is generally the central pedal, and which pedal is frequently required to be pivoted to swing upon a vertical axis, as well as upon its horizontal axis, for the accomplishment of which purpose asupplemental plate 21 is illustrated, which plate has the general formation of the plate 7, having standards 22, carried by the flange 28 and being bent over at 24 to constitute bearings 25.. Such plate 21 is shown as provided with a number of holes 26. Four of such holes are shown in the present in stance. These holes are arranged in two rows which are parallel, and the holes in the rows are arranged-in transverse lines. The bedplate 7 is also provided with a number of holes 30, which holes are arranged in two parallel rows, but are transversely dodged. It will be evident that the holes upon the re spective members are arranged in parallel lines and one set of holes will be dodged upon the transverse line, whereby the plate 21 may be slid along the plate 7 and the holes in the respective rows will alternately register, and in most of the positions of adjustment two holes in the top plate will register with two holes in the bottom plate, thus affording a means to secure, as by a screw 40, (shown in dotted lines,) the plates from relative movement, if it is not desired to pivot the plate 21 upon the screw 20. The head of the screw 20 may rest on a washer 85, and a washer may be interposed between the two plates. Such washers may be made of some suitable material, and felt may be employed in practice. It will be noticed that by the organization of holes the plates will have holes register upon a relative movement equal to half the distance between the holes in any row.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In some instances the plate may be used without the additional auxiliary plate, and in some instances the auxiliary plate may be eml pedal-levers and pivots for each of said pedalployed, its employment being useful when a fulcrum is desired for one of the levers different from the other levers and also in cases where an additional fulcrum upon a transverse plane is desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A plate having a plurality of holes arranged in two parallel lines and in dodged position; and a plate having a lever pivoted thereto, said plate having holes arranged in parallel rows and transversely alined,the holes in the respective rows being the same distance apart, whereby as one plate is slid over the other plate in the direction of the rows the holes in the rows will alternately register; and pedal-levers carried by the respective plates.

2. The combination of a pair of plates each having parallel rows of holes, the holes on one of which plates being transversely dodged or out of transverse alinement; and a piano pedal-lever carried by at least one of the plates.

3. The combination of a pair of plates each having two parallel rowsof holes and theholes in one of which plates are out of transverse alinement, whereby upon the relative movement of the plates at least two holes of each of the plates will alternately register at a distance equal to half the distance apart of the holes in any row; and pedal-levers carried by the respective plates.

' 4:. The combination of a pair of plates each having two parallel rows of holes and the holes in one of which plates are out of transverse alinement, whereby upon the relative movement of the plates at least two holes of each of the plates will alternately register at a distance equal to half the distance apart of the holes in any row; and a pedal-lever carried by at least one of the plates.

5. The combination of a pair of plates each having two parallel rows of holes and the holes in one of which plates are out of transverse alinement, whereby upon the relative movement of the plates at least two holes of each of the rows will alternately register; and means to traverse the registered holes to hold the plates in their position of adjustment.

6. The combination with a bed-plate, of bearings for a number of pivots rigid on said bed-plate; a number of levers and pivots therefor mounted in said rigid bearings; a bearing member having bearings for the pivots of a pedal-lever and pivotally mounted on said bed-plate; and a pedal-lever and pivots therefor mounted in the bearings of said pivotallymounted bearing member.

7. The combination with a plurality of levers, of a bed-plate to support the same, said bed-plate having two parallel rows of holes arranged out of transverse alinement; means fast on the said bed-plate to afford bearings for the pivots of a number of said pedallevers; means to support the pivots of one of said pedal-levers, and comprising a plate having two parallel rows of holes in transverse alinement, whereby upon the relative movement of the plates the rows of holes will alternately register; and means to traverse one or more of the registered holes.

8. The combination with a plurality of pedal-levers and pivots for each of said pedallevers, of a bed-plate to support the same, said bed-plate having two parallel rows of holes; means fast on the said bed-plate to afford bearings for the pivots of a number of said pedal-levers; means to support the pivots of one of said pedal-levers, and comprising a plate having two parallel rows of holes, the rows on one of said plates being out of transverse alinement. whereby upon the relative movement of the plates the holes of the alternate rows will register; and means to traverse one or more of the registered holes.

9. The combination with a bed-plate and pivot bearings thereon, of a plurality of pedallevers and pivots for the same, said pivots being mounted. in said bearings; a plate adjustable upon said bed-plate and pivot-bearings thereon; and a pedal-lever and pivots for the same, said pivots being mounted in said bearings.

10. The combination with a plurality of pedal-levers and pivots for each of said pedallevers, of a bed-plate to support the same; means fast on the said bed-plate to afford bearings for the pivots of a number of said pedal-levers; and means to support the pivots of one of said pedal-levers and pivotally carried by said bed-plate.

11. The combination with a plurality of pedal-levers and pivots for said pedal-levers, of supporting means to afford bearings for the pivots of a number of said pedal-levers in alinement; means to support the pivots of one of said pedal-levers out of alinement with other of said pedal-levers; and a pivotal connection between said supporting means having an axis transverse to the axes of said pivots.

Signed at Nos. 9 to 15 Murray street, New York, N. Y., this 7th day of July, 190a.

GORDON MERRIT' Witnesses:

CHAS. LYON RUssnLL, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

